


Testimony

by TouchingOldMagic



Series: Ghostbusters 30 Day Challenge [15]
Category: Ghostbusters (Comics), Ghostbusters - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Headcanon fun, Original Character - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24872887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TouchingOldMagic/pseuds/TouchingOldMagic
Summary: Day 15 of the Ghostbusters 30 Day ChallengePrompt: Random HeadcanonRay is being sued, oh dear! But his lawyer has a plan.
Series: Ghostbusters 30 Day Challenge [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779643
Kudos: 5





	Testimony

**Author's Note:**

> I thought this would be the perfect chance to explain my own personal headcanon about ghosts, whether in the real world or the Ghostbusters universe.

"Venkman's better on the stand than I am, can't he do this?" Ray sighed.

"He is not the one being sued, Dr. Stantz, you are." The lawyer, Daniel Brooks, folded his hands in front of him.

The two men were seated across from each other at a table in the firehouse. A slim manila folder of paperwork rested on the table between them. Brooks's haircut was expensive and his suit was well tailored, though instead of the usual charcoal or beige it was a very dark plum color, and his undershirt was lavender. Despite the odd color choice, his confidence carried it off and so far his competent discussion had proved he knew what he was talking about.

Ray crossed his arms. "I thought PCOC was supposed to take care of these things now," he grumbled.

"PCOC is taking care of this by hiring me," Brooks pointed out with a white-toothed smile. "But Mr. Neilson didn't sue your company, he sued you, specifically."

Ray sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He hated this. He didn't want to be sidelined dealing with a suit, he wanted to do his job. He was _good_ at his job. Getting sued was embarrassing. Not to mention bringing back a lot of unfond memories.

The lawyer leaned back and opened the folder on the table. "Go over it with me again. You went to the apartment by yourself, because you thought you were going for a client consultation only. Once there, you were attacked by a ghost that Mr. Neilson, the property owner, alleges is his aunt who has passed on, and he says he didn't call you to deal with her--"

"But someone _did_ call us!"

Brooks held up a hand. "I know, Dr. Stantz, but put that aside for a moment. As I said, Mr. Neilson is suing you for 'busting' his aunt against his wishes, on his private property."

Ray sighed again. "Regardless if he wanted it or not, once a ghost escalates to aggressive acts it rarely just goes back to being quiescent."

Brooks nodded and flipped some of the pages in the folder over, revealing a small notepad tucked in among the paperwork. He made some notes on the top lined sheet. "In cases like these, the testimony of experts in your field is going to be integral to our case."

" _We_ are the experts in this field," Ray pointed out.

Brooks smirked. "Exactly."

"Isn't that going to be a bit of a biased testimony?" he asked. "If me or anyone else in this company testifies as an expert?"

"Yours isn't going to be the only testimony I'm relying on, but your professionalism is in question here and I'm going to make the jury see that you're the best at what you do." He scrawled quickly over the notepad, making more notes in a hurried hand. Brooks's earnest intensity was surprising to Ray, and he realized the man was actually enjoying this. Was it the challenge? Ray could understand that. He enjoyed the challenge of his own career, as well.

"I'm not going to allow opposing counsel to pull us into an argument about whether you acted in the right against the ghost," Brooks continued. "They'll try to derail our case, distract us with an argument that ghosts of identifiable people should still have rights, just as they did when they were alive. I know, because that's what I would do." Brooks grinned again, and this time it looked like a shark. "Instead we're going to argue that the ghost _couldn't_ be Mr. Neilson's actual aunt."

Ray raised his eyebrows. "I fail to see how."

Brooks set down his pen and spread his hands out in front of him. "I don't think it will be that difficult a concept to introduce to the jury. Many of us, if we think of ghosts at all, think of them as only part of a person, correct? A whole person is a soul, a personality, inside a physical body. So you could say a person is a physical half, and a non-physical half. Without the body, the rest is the spirit?"

"That's something of an oversimplification," Ray began.

Brooks nodded sharply. "Yes. I don't think life can be so black and white. After all, a lot of things affecting a person's physical body can affect their personality, their soul, to use another term. Medication for the mentally ill can restore imbalances in a person's brain, allowing them to be coherent members of society. A person who is physically ill can act in a way that is vastly different from the personality they would otherwise have. Normally patient and kind people can become cruel and insensitive after prolonged periods of pain or illness, very out of character, correct?"

Ray slowly nodded, encouraging the man to continue, curious about where he was going.

"Let's consider, then, a theory." Brooks held up a finger. "Let's say a person isn't just a body and a soul. It's more layered than that, more interconnected, more nuanced. So then what would a ghost be? Not an entire soul. We've established that a soul isn't just the non-physical part of a person. At most it's, shall we say, part of a soul? A small portion that was left behind?"

Ray's eyes widened. He quickly followed along to the conclusion that the lawyer was heading to. "I see! Yes, that tracks!" he said, excitement in his voice. "Ghosts can most definitely show attributes that differ from the personality of the person they were in life. I mean, not always. But sometimes there's a shift or an exaggeration in what we know of how they once lived. We once busted a ghost that looked like _Sinterklaas_ \--that's like a European version of Santa--only to find out it was a man who dressed the part for a local celebration. All accounts say the man was kind and well liked by the community, even the children, when he was alive. It wasn't until death that he seemed to be obsessed with punishing children who had been naughty during the year."

Brooks leaned back in his chair and looked entirely satisfied. "Yes, exactly. So you might say that this man, when he died, moved on to Heaven." Ray cocked a curious eyebrow and the lawyer waved a hand. "Or whatever nomenclature you want to use. He moved on. And his _obsession_ stayed behind and became a ghost." Brooks straightened up and closed the manila folder, as if to emphasize the conclusion of his point. "And we might say the same of Mr. Neilson's aunt."

Ray nodded. "It's a solid theory, but I don't think we can prove it in court."

Brook's eyes sparked with confidence. "Dr. Stantz, you'd be surprised what I can do in court without proving anything at all. Leave it to me."

**Author's Note:**

> I probably won't write more of this but rest assured, Ray won his case. :)


End file.
